Vehicle information system

• US 6,664,924 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2002
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Brown, Steven, Knockeart, Ronald P., Jozefowicz, Paul A., Asher, Harry, Rode, Melvin A., Drury, Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US10/246,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/210, 342/357.13, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A vehicle information system which includes an in-vehicle system 105 and a centralized server system 120. The in-vehicle system communicates with the server system using a wireless communication link 110, such as over a cellular telephone system. A position system, such as a set of GPS satellites 140, provides positioning signals that are used by the in-vehicle systems, and optionally by the centralized server system to increase the accuracy of position estimates. In one version of the system, an operator specifies a destination to an in-vehicle system which validates the destination. The in-vehicle system transmits specification of the destination to a server system 125 at the centralized server. The server system computes a route to the destination and transmits the computed route to the in-vehicle system. The in-vehicle system guides the operator along the route. If the in-vehicle system detects that the vehicle has deviated from the planned route, it replans a new route to the destination using an in-vehicle map database.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle guidance comprising:

providing a stored map of a road network in a non-volatile storage in a vehicle;

receiving at the vehicle from a server a planned route to a destination location;

storing the planned route at the vehicle;

providing instructions to an operator of the vehicle according to the stored planned route;

tracking a location of the vehicle, including detecting whether the vehicle has deviated from the planned route; and

if the vehicle is detected to have deviated from the planned route, planning a new route to the destination location using the stored map.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the stored map includes providing a removable storage medium storing said map.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein providing a removable storage includes providing a computer disk storing said map.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the planned route includes receiving said planned route over a wireless communication link.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein providing the planned route over the wireless communication link includes providing said planned route over a cellular telephone system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the planned route identifies a series of road segments in a road network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the stored map identifies a network of interconnected road segments in the road network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the planned route identifies at least some road segments that are not identified in the stored map.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein planning the new route to the destination includes planning a route along road segments identified by the map between a location of the vehicle and a road segment identified by the planned route.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein planning the route between the location of the vehicle and a road segment identified by the planned route includes executing a shortest path search to find said path.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein planning the route between the location of the vehicle and a road segment identified by the planned route includes planning said route to join the planned route in the vicinity of the vehicle'"'"'s deviation from the planned route.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the planned route identifies a road segment that is not represented in the stored map.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the server plans the planned route using information not available to the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the stored map is a partial map that includes a first subset of roads of the road network but does not include a second subset of roads of the road network, the first subset of roads containing more major roads than the second subset, the second subset of roads containing more residential roads than the first subset.

15. Software recorded on a computer readable medium for causing an in-vehicle computer to perform the functions comprising:

receiving at a vehicle a planned route to a destination location from a server;

storing the planned route;

providing instructions to an operator of the vehicle according to the stored planned route;

tracking a location of the vehicle;

detecting whether the vehicle has deviated from the planned route; and

if the vehicle is detected to have deviated from the planned route, planning a new route to the destination location using a map of a road network stored in a storage of the vehicle.

16. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a server, including a route planner;

a plurality of in-vehicle systems, each including storage for an in-vehicle map database, and storage for a planned route;

a wireless communication system for passing data between the server and each of the in-vehicle systems;

wherein each of the in-vehicle systems includes a guidance system for accepting a destination specification,

validating the destination specification using the in-vehicle map database,

sending the validated destination specification to the server over the wireless communication system,

receiving a planned route to the destination over the wireless communication system, and guiding the operator to the destination; and

wherein each of the in-vehicle systems further includes an autonomous route replanning system for detecting whether the vehicle has deviated from the planned route, and if the vehicle is detected to have deviated from the planned route, planning a new route to the destination using the in-vehicle map database.